Had my game plan all down…started gathering things that I would need about 8:15 this morning….before I could get suited up they started pouring out of the hive….the air was again filled with bees.
Tried to take some photos but the batteries were dead.
They’ve settled in the top of the tree by the hive. I have a second hive cleaned out and set up just in case they like that for a home.
After those left in the hive had settled down I opened it up and removed 3 frames of honey. The super was full of capped honey.
Evidently they have been back-filling the brood nest and the Queen had no place to lay. Don’t know why they didn’t build in the empty super above.
Once the frames were removed, Jim lifted the super off so I could get a frame of brood from the deep hive body. It is a much larger frame and when put in the medium super it will hang down into the main hive….acting like a ladder to help persuade the Queen to lay in the super above. I want the deep and one medium super for their brood box.
Empty frames were put into the super to give them a place to build and hopefully she’ll (if there is a new Queen) start laying.
We brought the 3 frames of honey inside and tried a crush and strain method I read about on http://www.backyardhive.com/Articles_on_Beekeeping/Features/A_Simple_Harvest/
This is what it looks like.
We also filled 2 small honey bears. Made a little mess in the kitchen but with 2 of us working and continually wiping up it wasn’t too bad.
I may not have crushed it good enough. I thoroughly washed new window screen for 2 jars. I will restrain those thru the paint filter that is on the other 2.
They will sit like this overnight. If it looks like there is any honey left in the wax tomorrow…I’ll crush it again and strain it again.
Jim was like a kid with a cake batter bowl. He was cleaning out everything he could. The little he left was put outside for the bees to cleanup.
Our first honey harvest. Didn’t think we would get any this year. May get a few more frames if they fill it up again.
Jim says “ wonder why your own honey tastes the best?” I don’t know…but it sure is good.
What a day….hope the bees move into the other hive…but if not…there are hundreds of big old trees in the area.
Looks great. I always buy local honey. It seems to taste better. Hubby used to be in pest control. He had a beekeeper that got swarming hives close to a house.
ReplyDeleteIt's been an interesting year for you! I hope the bees move up your ladder for you. They'll probably build comb of the bottom of the frame, so be ready for it.
ReplyDeleteI expect them to..will be more area for her to lay. I couldn't believe how heavy one medium frame full of honey was. Thanks for stopping.
DeleteMore room to lay is good, yes. But for the beekeeper the configuration will be problematic. You will not be able to move the medium without first removing the deep frame. (Unless you have an extra deep body to set it on, or some sort of elevated something.) And you will not be able to easily lift that frame out if it is a medium-plus-deep-frame in height. I hope I'm not coming off as pedantic; I just thinks it's best to work smarter not harder.
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